The South Foyer When you walk through the main entrance on the south side of the Capitol, you will find yourself in the beautiful South Foyer. On the floor of the foyer are designs memorializing the Texas Revolution, the Mexican War, and the American Civil War. In this room you will find life-size statues of two men very important to Texas history. The statues were designed by a well-known Texas sculptress by the name of Elisabet Ney. The first statue is Sam Houston, a commander during the Texas revolution who later served as a President of the Texas Republic and Governor of the state. The other statue is of Stephen F. Austin, known as the "Father of Texas" and the man whom Texas's capital city is named after. Austin brought the first 300 families to Texas, was a key negotiator with Mexico during the early years of Texas settlement, and played an important role in setting up a provisional government for the Republic.